Painted Comber

Photo: Gianfrs · CC BY-NC-ND

Painted combers are among the most abundant fish on Sazan's wrecks, darting in and out of portholes and hatches and displaying the vivid blue scrawls and orange bands that give the species its common name. Simultaneous hermaphrodites carrying both functional male and female reproductive tissue, they pair briefly to exchange gametes before returning to solitary territorial behaviour. Their curiosity about divers is notable — individuals frequently approach closely and hover, apparently examining their own reflections in camera ports.